Category: Life Lessons

Several days ago, I was out with friends and ex-colleagues. Most of them are working as freelancers, which means they don’t need to clock-in every day to an office; they don’t have to “dress the part;” and they don’t have a boss.

What struck me was their idea of fulfilment. To them, it was using your God-given talent for something more meaningful and NOT wasting it away in some 9-to-5 job.

This got me thinking, “Does my job suck?”

A wiseman once said the best job that you have right now is the job that you HAVE RIGHT NOW. For me, when people tell you your life sucks because they feel you’re comfortable and you get to go home early and spend the evening with your kids and wife, I would politely tell them to f&&*^ o*(.

Life sucks when you don’t have a job. Life sucks when you’re always chasing the next meal. Life sucks when your kids, partner or even family are wondering why you’re always working late, but everything around you remains the same.

I am resilient. But I’m also NOT refusing every opportunity that is thrown at me. At my age, I take stock at things. I weigh them and think of my family over my own. I muse a lot these days. I think of the days when I was younger, when life was simple.

Does a corporate job suck at this time? No.

As Rica wrote in her blog, it’s all about mindset and culture. Of course, the people are quite important. People leave their jobs because of people (i.e. they hate their boss). People stay because of people.

Perhaps the next time my friends ask me if I should consider life outside of this corporate life, I would tell them it doesn’t matter what job you are doing right now, as long as you’re happy, and your NOT neglecting any people who matter to you in life.

Life is what you make it, as they say. It’s a bunch of decisions with consequences. There will be trade-offs. You choose which ones you’re willing to give up. This time, I’m happy where I am NOT because I’m working for a corporation. I am here because I’m learning from the best people who know great things that I don’t know.

Sounds cheesy, but that’s the truth. It’s just a job. It’s up to you to make it FUN and fulfilling.

It’s been a while since I’ve updated this blog. There have been issues with my host (DreamHost), but I think it is now working *crossed-fingers*

We’ve always been told to just do whatever it feels right. There is no perfect timing than now. If you fail, then pivot. These are words that carry a lot of weight when you’re looking at jumping into a start-up company. Stories about entrepreneurs abound these days (and currently I’m reading about Elon Musk). Their tale reveals a common trait among these innovators: they’re hell bent on making things happen no matter what. The price of succeeding is heavy–and could even affect their relationships, marriages, etc. But they push on amid the setbacks.

Recently, I’ve been meeting a lot of new people–entrepreneurs, idea people, and some quirky ones. They all share one common trait: they want to disrupt the status quo. They’re also big dreamers who want to escape the corporate life, and the rat race (grind, for some).

These thoughts do cross my mind everyday, and there’s not a day that I start dreaming of a life that I can control. The four-hour work-week comes to mind too.

Then, I saw this film about this guy, a psychiatrist who seemed to have a comfortable life. He had a steady pool of clients; a caring partner; and good friends. However, as time went by, he realized he was unhappy. Thus, sparked his physical journey to research on what made people happy. He went to China and found a rich, American businessman who taught him that money can buy happiness. Nah. Then, he moved on to Africa where he met a drug kingpin and some low-life kidnappers. He learned that happiness is about taking advantage of situations and turning such situations to his favor. Happiness is also about being alive. Finally, he ended up in L.A. where he met his unrequited love. But he realized that he was chasing a fantasy and NOT love or happiness. In the end, his journey made him understand that it was his partner/wife who made him happy.

The End.

Such are stories made for movies or TV. But there are grains of truth in such films. As they say, art imitates life. Or art is a reflection of life and of our values. So I guess, what I’m saying is that our lives are essentially pursuits of happiness. And we often look for answers elsewhere, when they are sitting right in front of us (or in my case, right beside me now).

Before I dose off, I’m making this note: Mark this day. There will be more mountains to climb. And the road to the top will be bumpy. So strap yourself tight. Get ready to experience the thrill, pain, and the bumps. There’s no fun in things that are easy. Challenge yourself. Be deliberate in learning things. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. But learn the lessons –if you can, map it out–visually.

Tomorrow is another day. More hoops to jump over. But stay focused. And always maintain that inner peace. Thanks Dragon Warrior.

What you’re about to see are two contrasting videos about happiness. One talks about using money to buy happiness for someone else. The other video talks about happiness that is unconditional. Everyday, we deal with the concept of happiness, but very few of us do understand what it really means.